Zeal

Zeal is a rendition of American Minimalist composer John Adam's influential 1973 composition Christian Zeal and Activity. The score for Adam's piece calls for an ensemble of any instruments to play the popular Nineteenth Century hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" at a very slow pace while a vocal "sonic found object" is played on prerecorded tape is played during the middle verses.

My version recreates this piece out of entirely found sound and features the voice of Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) in her speech on September 14, 2001 as the only member of Congress to vote against authorizing the use of military force in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11. Lee's voice is collaged into a repetitious pattern inspired by a 1986 rendition of Adam's piece by Edo De Waart and The San Francisco Symphony.

Zeal premiered November 6, 2015 at the President's Gallery at Harold Washington College for Are You the Terrorist? part of Ruslana Lichtzier's ongoing curatorial project Terrorists in the Library.